Hi everyone, my name is Aimee and I have lived within Riverside for almost two years and until recently I lived in one of the youth hostels in Hull.

I now have my own place, with ongoing support, and is one step closer towards me becoming fully independent. I have said for the longest time if I wasn’t placed in the hostel then I wouldn’t be here, which is true.

Co-production so important to me because it gives young people, like me, the chance to have our thoughts and opinions heard and an opportunity to see, and get involved, in the progress that is made from that idea.

While living at the hostel, I’ve had the chance to get involved in so many different things, such as:

• Asking questions in interviews for staff positions in the hostel.
• Writing something for the Riverside newspaper which was fun because quite a few of us got involved.
• Involvement in my care plan, making me feel like there are adults who want, and are willing, to listen to young people.

In my opinion, the young person support services at Riverside have improved thanks to co-production. They are listening to our feedback and ideas and getting us involved in decision making to help improve the scheme we live in.

I have now become an official volunteer with the NHS, working with a young people’s mental health advisory group. Working to tackle young people’s poor mental health and try to improve the mental health services that are supposed to support young people through whatever is going on in their lives which involves a whole bunch of co-production.

I hope you have found this informative.

Aimee, Riverside customer